Induction Cooking

Induction Cooking

High efficiency electric induction cooktops and ranges are safer, more powerful, and better for the environment.

Induction cooktops and ranges use electricity to create an magnetic field that heats cookware directly.

Advantages of Induction Cooking

It’s extremely powerful, but also precise. It’s hard be believe until you’ve seen it happen, but induction burners boil liquids faster than even powerful gas burners. (Consumer Reports says induction is typically 20 to 40 percent faster.)  And, unlike electric resistance burners, when you turn down an induction burner it stops heating immediately. Induction cooktops also maintain a steady, low temperatures better than other kinds of cooktops.

Cleaning nirvana. Induction cooktops have flat, glass or glass-like surfaces. Pot boil over? No problem, just wipe up the spill with a sponge or towel.

Cooler kitchen. Because induction heats your cookware directly, it isn’t also heating the air in your kitchen. This might well be the difference between wanting to use the stove in the summer and not! It’s really that noticeable. It will also reduce the energy you need to cool your home.

Less risk of fire and burns. Without an open flame or direct heat, induction burners are less likely to start an oil or grease fire. Moreover, induction burners do not themselves get hot — only metal containing iron resting the burner (i.e., your cookware) does. Paper, a towel, or even your hand will not burn if placed on a burner left on accidentally. (This is not to say that the induction burner in contact with a hot pan won’t get hot, though, so use common sense!)

Improved indoor air quality. We all know burning fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide. However, it also creates other pollution, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulates. Studies have found increased rates of childhood asthma and in homes with gas cooking. One study estimated 12% of asthma cases among children are attributable to using gas for cooking — about the same impact on the child as being exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

It’s the most efficient cooking technology available. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, induction cooking uses about one-third of the energy of gas cooking.

Things to Consider

You may need new cookware. Because induction relies on magnetism, it only works with cookware that contains iron. It does not work with 100% aluminum, copper, or ceramic cookware. Some pans have multiple materials bonded together on the bottom, so here’s a hint: If a magnet sticks to the bottom, it will work.

Induction range installation. The retailer where you purchase your cooktop or range will likely be able to install your new cooktop, but you’ll likely need to plan ahead to have an electrician install the appropriate electrical circuit before they arrive.

You may need a 240 volt induction cooktop circuit. Unless you already have an electric-resistance range or cooktop in the same location, you’ll most likely need an electrician to install a 240V circuit for your induction cooktop or range.

Nothing quite matches the visual feedback of a flame. Most induction cooktops have LED indicators that indicate the power level, but none are quite as visceral as gas’s blue flame.

 

 

Incentives for Induction Cooktops and Ranges

Both Illinois and Wisconsin offer rebates for induction cooktops and ranges. ComEd, Illinois’s largest electric utility, also offers a small rebate.

These incentives fit into a broader set of incentives for electrifying all the gas appliances in your home. (Get more information for: Illinois or Wisconsin.) 

Wisconsin Induction Cooking Rebates

Wisconsin will offer a rebate of up to $840 for heat pump dryers under its Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (“HEAR rebate”) program. In addition, you can receive up to $6,500 for the cost of electric wiring upgrades to support it (for example, you may need a 240V induction range circuit run to your kitchen). There are certain income limitations, but they are fairly generous. Funding for the rebate comes from the federal government; it was part of 2022’s federal Inflation Reduction Act. Focus on Energy administers the heat pump dryer rebate in Wisconsin. We expect it to be available by the end of 2024.

Illinois induction cooking Rebates

Customers of ComEd can take a $100 rebate on the purchase of an induction cooktop or range. We recommend using this to offset the cost of the appliance itself. (If you are served by a municipal utility, you may want to see if they offer any rebates for induction cooktops or ranges.)

Illinois will also offer rebates for induction funded by the federal government as a result of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act. Illinois’s program is not yet live, but we expect it will be similar to Wisconsin’s but be available only to lower-income households.

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